Personal Injury Attorney

Personal Injury Lawyer

Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawyer Santa Rosa CA

If you or a loved one has been injured in a catastrophic personal injury accident in the Santa Rosa, CA area, it is important to know your options to pursue compensation. You may be entitled to a settlement for your damages as a result of the accident.

Contact attorney Johann Hall today to discuss your potential case. Using his excellent negotiation skills, attorney Johann Hall may be able to accomplish a settlement for you without having to formally file your case and subject you to unnecessary litigation. Of course, going to trial is necessary in some cases, so by hiring personal injury lawyer Johann Hall to handle your case, you can expect that he will not hesitate to file and litigate your claim if that is what is best for you and your case.

Statute of Limitations

Personal injury cases have a statute of limitations that is generally two years but can vary depending on the facts specific to your case. For example, if the at-fault party in your case was a government agency, then you must file your claim within six months of the accident.

Speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer such as Johann Hall who knows the ins and outs of personal injury law can help you avoid making mistakes that could be fatal to your case, such as filing your claim too late.

What Damages Are Available in a Personal Injury Case?

Damages in personal injury cases can include payment for medical bills, lost wages due to medically-necessary time off work, and pain and suffering as a result of the accident.

Compensatory Damages

Your attorney may be able to secure a settlement for you that would include compensatory damages as a result of the personal injury accident. Compensatory damages exist to compensate you for the harm you sustained due to the accident. There are two major types of compensatory damages available.

General Compensatory Damages

General compensatory damages are available to compensate you for losses that are not easily measurable and are non-specific. General damages include mental anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering and mental anguish are things people involved in catastrophic personal injury accidents may feel or experience. The law allows for recovery for these experiences if you can demonstrate how the injury negatively impacted your life or caused you serious pain and suffering.

Loss of Consortium

The spouse of the injured party also can bring a claim for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium is a loss of companionship. This form of damages typically comes into play when there are catastrophic injuries involved which require significant recovery time and substantial medical treatment.

Special Compensatory Damages

Special damages are unique in that they are specific and can be measured. These damages include payment for your medical bills related to the accident and also compensation for lost wages for the time you were taken off work by your doctor. In some cases, involving very serious injuries, it may also be possible to recover payment for future medical bills and future lost earnings.

Wrongful Death Damages

In the event your case involves a claim for wrongful death, you or your loved one may be able to recover wrongful death damages, which can include:

Burial expenses

Emotional distress of family members

Pre-death medical care

Loss of consortium

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are available in instances where there is evidence of serious wrongdoing on behalf of the at-fault party. Whether you may be entitled to punitive damages or not will depend heavily on the facts of your case.

Punitive damages are not connected with the type of injuries you suffered; rather they exist to punish a party for serious wrongdoing in an attempt to discourage the behavior in the future. Your lawyer will be able to investigate your catastrophic personal injury case to determine whether punitive damages may be a potential recovery option for you.